Lewis acid-catalyzed conjugate addition-cyclization reactions of ethenetricarboxylates with substituted propargyl alcohols: stereoselectivity in the efficient one-pot synthesis of methylenetetrahydrofurans

Oxygen-containing heterocyclic systems are important structures in organic chemistry because of their presence in many biologically active compounds. In this work, a Lewis acid-catalyzed cyclization of ethenetricarboxylate derivatives 1 with substituted propargyl alcohols to give methylenetetrahydrofurans was investigated. Reaction of 1 and gamma-silicon-substituted propargyl alcohols 4 with ZnBr2 at 80-110 degrees C led to (Z)-silicon-substituted products stereoselectively. Reaction of 1 and gamma-ester-substituted propargyl alcohol 7 in the presence of various Lewis acids gave ester-substituted methylenetetrahydrofurans stereoselectively. Interesting Lewis acid dependency on stereoselectivity for the reaction of 7 was found. Reaction of alpha-substituted propargyl alcohols also gave cyclized products.